The present invention relates to fluid collection receptacles, and more particularly to collection bags for receiving and collecting body fluids.
In the past, an assortment of receptacles have been proposed to collect body fluids, such as bags which collect urine during catheterization. In the usual form, urine collection receptacles are designed for use throughout an extended period of catheterization, and thus include valves or related devices which may be utilized to empty the bags or obtain samples during catheterization. However, in many instances it is only necessary to catheterize a patient over a relatively short period of time, and the normal bags with valves have been found unnecessarily complex in structure and expensive for this purpose since the short-term bags are discarded after a single use.
Of course, it is desirable that such single-use bags permit access to the collected fluid after catheterization in order to empty the bags prior to disposal or obtain a fluid sample, when required. In the past, tools, such as scissors, have been utilized to sever a corner of the bags in order to open the bag after which the bag contents could be poured through the opening. However, such a procedure has required accessory equipment in the vicinity of the patient, and has been found inconvenient to hospital personnel.